Piedmont Community Charter High School Students Win National Sustainability Grant

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Piedmont Community Charter High School Students Win National Sustainability Grant

High School students at Piedmont Community Charter School have earned national recognition
after being one of only two schools awarded a $10,000 grant through the Coca-Cola
Sustainability Innovation Challenge, in partnership with Chick-fil-A.

The winning students are members of the school’s Chick-fil-A Leader Academy, a leadership
and service program that empowers students to make a positive impact in their communities. As
part of the challenge, students were tasked with envisioning a “world without waste” and
developing an innovative solution to support sustainability efforts.

In response, the students proposed constructing an aquaponics system at the school to reduce
food waste while promoting sustainable food production. This innovative system will reduce
waste, conserve water, and produce fresh food, all while serving as a hands-on learning tool.
Through this project, students will also help cultivate the next generation of environmental
leaders.

“This is an incredible achievement for our student leadership academy, led by [high school
teachers] Ruthie Howe and Breezy Howe,” said high school Director, Pam Huffstetler. “We are
so excited to move forward with implementing the aquaponics system and can’t wait to see the
impact it will have!”

The $10,000 check was personally delivered to the school by Nolan Hatley, Owner/Operator of
the Cox Rd. Chick-fil-A, along with Chick-fil-A Leader Academy program representatives,
Corban Bruce and Lindsay Corris, and Coca-Cola Customer Development Manager Jay Bennett.
In addition, PCCS senior Zaniah McDowell was selected as a national finalist for the Chick-fil-A
Leader Academy Student of the Year award. Out of thousands of students nominated for this
honor, Zaniah was recognized in the top ten, a testament to her hard work on this project.
The aquaponics system is designed to operate for years to come, impacting hundreds of students
annually through ongoing educational opportunities and sustainable practices within the school
community.